Monday, October 26, 2009
Final Reflections
A month has now passed since I got home, and I’m happy to report that returning to my “other” life has been much easier than anticipated. I’ve had a lot of time to reconnect with my wife and to think, both of which have been wonderful. Many people have inquired about my hike, and so this post will serve to respond to some of the deeper questions that people have asked.
What did you learn?
The PCT taught me that I was largely a risk-adverse person. I disguised my fear of risk with body art, rock climbing, and other activities typically associated with people who live in more risky ways. However, I worked diligently to manage the risk out of activities, relationships, and every so-called “adventure” I undertook. My wife (bless her!) brought this to my attention early in my hike when she told me “Honey, you tend to want all of the adventure with none of the risk.” Wow. That one smarted – but started me on a better path. In the process of hiking 2658 miles I learned to embrace the risk with the adventure rather than fleeing risk, and my PCT experience was much richer as a result.
I also learned the value of flexibility. One again I didn’t realize that I was an inflexible person until the myriad of uncontrollable circumstances that go hand-in-hand with a PCT thru-hike attempt forced me to either adapt or go crazy. I discovered that being a flexible person who is able to adapt to changing circumstances makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. In returning home I have found that little things such as running a few minutes late bother me much less than they would have before my hike. I have also found that I can peacefully coexist with unknowns rather than diligently seeking to stamp out every last variable.
What do you miss?
Surprisingly, I miss the trail much less than I anticipated. To be perfectly honest I was pretty tired of hiking by the time I reached Canada. However, I do strongly miss the community of thru-hikers. “Community” is a buzz word we throw around in our churches and board rooms, yet we live in fenced-off yards, we drive 20 minutes to see a friend across town while not knowing our neighbors, and we teach our kids about “stranger danger.” I don’t pretend to have an answer to this, but I can testify that the thru-hiking community has it figured out. Thru-hikers treat each other amazingly well regardless of race, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. I constantly felt valued, accepted, and cared for by people who I sometimes hardly knew. I believe that when God created humanity he designed us to live in community, and I think that a group of dirty thru-hikers all marching north is the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to what I imagine God’s concept of community to be.
In addition, I miss the simplicity of life of the trail. Thru-hiking was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was simple. For five months every physical thing I was responsible for was on my back, and it was very freeing to not be concerned about anything I couldn’t see. Life was difficult, but each day I awoke knowing that my task for the day – as was my task yesterday and will be my task tomorrow – was only to get as close to Canada as possible. Returning to a life in the city with competing priorities, financial considerations, and property to care for has taken some getting used to.
What’s next?
In short, I don’t know. I do know that I focused way too much on work on the last few years, and while I do need employment and am looking forward to working again I definitely do not want to be consumed by a job. As my friend Cuidado stated, “Life can’t just be about work anymore. If it is, I’ll die.”
In terms of employment, I’m trying to balance my desire for my dream job with the reality of a tough job market. I will likely either pursue an independent business consulting practice focused on utilizing my gifts to serve clients or seek a full time position as a business analyst. I have been working on both, and my plan is to be flexible and see what happens in the next month.
In terms of life priorities, Amy and I are talking more about what it means for us to actively and intentionally seek and serve God as a couple and not just drift through life. I’m excited about this, but it’s scary at the same time.
Thank you once again to everyone who supported me and cheered for me on this hike. Before I started I said that if I took six months off and had a grand ol’ life adventure but didn’t return any different then the whole experience would be a bit of a waste. I do know that I have returned different, and your support has been a huge part of that.
Disco
What did you learn?
The PCT taught me that I was largely a risk-adverse person. I disguised my fear of risk with body art, rock climbing, and other activities typically associated with people who live in more risky ways. However, I worked diligently to manage the risk out of activities, relationships, and every so-called “adventure” I undertook. My wife (bless her!) brought this to my attention early in my hike when she told me “Honey, you tend to want all of the adventure with none of the risk.” Wow. That one smarted – but started me on a better path. In the process of hiking 2658 miles I learned to embrace the risk with the adventure rather than fleeing risk, and my PCT experience was much richer as a result.
I also learned the value of flexibility. One again I didn’t realize that I was an inflexible person until the myriad of uncontrollable circumstances that go hand-in-hand with a PCT thru-hike attempt forced me to either adapt or go crazy. I discovered that being a flexible person who is able to adapt to changing circumstances makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. In returning home I have found that little things such as running a few minutes late bother me much less than they would have before my hike. I have also found that I can peacefully coexist with unknowns rather than diligently seeking to stamp out every last variable.
What do you miss?
Surprisingly, I miss the trail much less than I anticipated. To be perfectly honest I was pretty tired of hiking by the time I reached Canada. However, I do strongly miss the community of thru-hikers. “Community” is a buzz word we throw around in our churches and board rooms, yet we live in fenced-off yards, we drive 20 minutes to see a friend across town while not knowing our neighbors, and we teach our kids about “stranger danger.” I don’t pretend to have an answer to this, but I can testify that the thru-hiking community has it figured out. Thru-hikers treat each other amazingly well regardless of race, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. I constantly felt valued, accepted, and cared for by people who I sometimes hardly knew. I believe that when God created humanity he designed us to live in community, and I think that a group of dirty thru-hikers all marching north is the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to what I imagine God’s concept of community to be.
In addition, I miss the simplicity of life of the trail. Thru-hiking was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was simple. For five months every physical thing I was responsible for was on my back, and it was very freeing to not be concerned about anything I couldn’t see. Life was difficult, but each day I awoke knowing that my task for the day – as was my task yesterday and will be my task tomorrow – was only to get as close to Canada as possible. Returning to a life in the city with competing priorities, financial considerations, and property to care for has taken some getting used to.
What’s next?
In short, I don’t know. I do know that I focused way too much on work on the last few years, and while I do need employment and am looking forward to working again I definitely do not want to be consumed by a job. As my friend Cuidado stated, “Life can’t just be about work anymore. If it is, I’ll die.”
In terms of employment, I’m trying to balance my desire for my dream job with the reality of a tough job market. I will likely either pursue an independent business consulting practice focused on utilizing my gifts to serve clients or seek a full time position as a business analyst. I have been working on both, and my plan is to be flexible and see what happens in the next month.
In terms of life priorities, Amy and I are talking more about what it means for us to actively and intentionally seek and serve God as a couple and not just drift through life. I’m excited about this, but it’s scary at the same time.
Thank you once again to everyone who supported me and cheered for me on this hike. Before I started I said that if I took six months off and had a grand ol’ life adventure but didn’t return any different then the whole experience would be a bit of a waste. I do know that I have returned different, and your support has been a huge part of that.
Disco
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Canada at last!
Greetings supportive blog readers!
I'm happy to announce that after a full five months of hiking, I finally arrived at the Canadian border on Saturday morning!
First things first: to my former coworkers at aCoupleofGurus.com who have bets going as to how many pairs of shoes I would go through on my hike, the final count is six. In case anyone is curious how my other gear held up, I have holes in my sixth pair of shoes and my tenth pair of socks. My gaiters also have holes. My pack has been repaired in five different places with duct tape, safety pins, dental floss, and two different colors of thread. My sleeping bag smells like a locker room. The holes in my pant legs got so bad that I finally just zipped them off and got rid of them. One of the twist-locks on my trekking poles is failing and needs to be tightened every 15 or 20 minutes. Mice have chewed seven different holes in my food bag, as well as chewing up the handles on my trekking poles. Several seams in my poncho-tarp shelter are coming undone. My sunglasses are scratched to the point where visibility is impaired, and I've never owned a piece of clothing as stained as my hiking shirt (my wife has made a polite but strong request that this shirt be thrown away).
Currently I'm at the home of my sister Hannah and her husband Matt in Tacoma, Washington. I'm drinking my beloved decaf coffee and wearing cotton clothing that I borrowed from Matt. My body continues to insist that I wake up at 5:30 am like I did on the trail, so I'm pretty tired in addition to being very sore. However, I'm happy! I hiked every single step in a continuous footpath all the way from the Mexican border to the Canadian border without taking any shortcuts. The majority of hikers who attempt this end up quitting for one reason or another, and not many who make it to the Canadian border do so without skipping any sections. As such, I'm extremely proud to be among the few 2009 hikers who can claim a literal continuous footpath.
Tomorrow I fly back to Minneapolis to join my wife in celebrating our second anniversary. Once I get settled in a bit I'll post more thoughts/feelings/reflections/pictures.
Thanks for cheering me on through this adventure!
Joel
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Victory Lap
Greetings persevering blog readers!
I am currently taking my final day off in the tiny town of Stehekin, just 89 miles south of the northern terminus of the PCT. Hikers call this last stretch "the victory lap." We're not quite finished yet, but there is definitely a spirit of celebration among the few remaining hikers who have made it this far.
The past few weeks have been wonderful. My good friend Cuidado caught up to me and we've had beautiful weather throughout a section known for its rain. The rugged scenery of the North Cascades has been spectacular! We've seen bear, elk, deer, pika, and marmots. We've watched amazing sunrises and sunsets over alpine lakes, and eaten our fill of the wild blueberries and huckleberries that cover entire hillsides. We've scrambled through 20 miles of damaged trail full of washed-out bridges and downed trees, and stood in awe as we watched dense fog roll through mountain valleys hundreds of feet below us.
It's hard to believe that I'm so close to done. Unless something very unexpected happens, Cuidado and I will be at the Canadian border on the 19th, to Manning Park in British Columbia on the 20th, and I'll be home on the 22nd - just one week from today. My emotions are all confused inside me: never have I been so excited and so sad at the same time. I can't wait to get home, start living with my wife again, and reconnect with people in the Minneapolis area. On the other hand, I'm mourning the end of this crazy, brutal, spectacular adventure. It will certainly be a challenge to learn how to maintain a life of adventure while building a career and paying a mortgage.
By the time I post again I will have completed my hike and started a new chapter in living a life of adventure with my wife. Stay tuned for my post-hike thoughts and reflections as well as pictures from the final few weeks. Thanks again for all your support over the past few months!
Joel
I am currently taking my final day off in the tiny town of Stehekin, just 89 miles south of the northern terminus of the PCT. Hikers call this last stretch "the victory lap." We're not quite finished yet, but there is definitely a spirit of celebration among the few remaining hikers who have made it this far.
The past few weeks have been wonderful. My good friend Cuidado caught up to me and we've had beautiful weather throughout a section known for its rain. The rugged scenery of the North Cascades has been spectacular! We've seen bear, elk, deer, pika, and marmots. We've watched amazing sunrises and sunsets over alpine lakes, and eaten our fill of the wild blueberries and huckleberries that cover entire hillsides. We've scrambled through 20 miles of damaged trail full of washed-out bridges and downed trees, and stood in awe as we watched dense fog roll through mountain valleys hundreds of feet below us.
It's hard to believe that I'm so close to done. Unless something very unexpected happens, Cuidado and I will be at the Canadian border on the 19th, to Manning Park in British Columbia on the 20th, and I'll be home on the 22nd - just one week from today. My emotions are all confused inside me: never have I been so excited and so sad at the same time. I can't wait to get home, start living with my wife again, and reconnect with people in the Minneapolis area. On the other hand, I'm mourning the end of this crazy, brutal, spectacular adventure. It will certainly be a challenge to learn how to maintain a life of adventure while building a career and paying a mortgage.
By the time I post again I will have completed my hike and started a new chapter in living a life of adventure with my wife. Stay tuned for my post-hike thoughts and reflections as well as pictures from the final few weeks. Thanks again for all your support over the past few months!
Joel
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Joel is happy when Amy is happy.
(from Natalia: sorry I'm a little slow on posting this note from Amy and the accompanying pictures... it's my fault, not hers!)
This is Joel’s wife, Amy -- reporting from the homefront. As both Joel & Natalia mentioned in their recent blog updates, I went out to Oregon to visit Joel last week. Initially, I was hoping to have an opportunity to hike part of the PCT with Joel again during our 2nd trail reunion. Unfortunately, I’ve recently developed a mysterious, nagging pain in my knee that prevented me from doing anything that could even remotely resemble backpacking. Since I couldn’t hike, Joel chose to stay off the trail for a longer period of time than he anticipated so that we could maximize the window of time we could spend together. And not only did Joel take almost a week-long break from the trail to hang out with me, but he also let me decide what we would do for 4 of our 6 days together. If you’re a woman, you’ll understand why this decision made me very happy. J Ever since we started dating, Joel’s motto has been, “When Amy is happy, then Joel is happy”. I must admit, I’ve always been a fan of that philosophy!
So, as you’ll see from the accompanying photos – much of what we did together in Oregon is much more “romantic” than what you’d typically read about on a PCT blog. We drove down the coast from Astoria to Tillamook and spent hours walking on the beautiful, rugged beaches along the way. We ate at seaside restaurants and meandered through historic streets lined with antique shops in small, coastal towns. We picked wild blackberries until our hands were stained violet. We strolled for hours through both the Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden in Portland – and took oodles of pictures of pretty flowers & landscapes. We drove the historic highway along the Columbia River Gorge and stopped to gaze at lookout points and waterfalls. And we even stayed overnight in a lovely French-style inn at Arch Cape and watched the movie, “You’ve Got Mail” while listening to the ocean from our 2nd story room. (Joel may not quite finish the trail before our 2nd anniversary in Sept., so we thought we’d celebrate a little early). J Needless to say, I LOVED Oregon and love my husband even MORE!
If you’re curious about what we did the other 2 days … just scroll through the photos. It took us 1 full day to sort, pack, & mail all of Joel’s resupply for the state of WA. Thankfully, the amazing Ms. Stephanie Mack (who graciously let us stay with her at her apt. in Vancouver, WA while we were in the Portland area) helped us with this daunting task, so that we could complete it all in a day. Stephanie is a whiz at rolling fruit leather and may have the set the new Guinness Book of World Records time for sealing the greatest number of freezer bags ever sealed in 10 hours. You rock, Stephanie! The other day was set aside for traversing the many miles back to the place on the trail where Joel had been picked up earlier in the week. If you’ve read Natalia’s story about “Joel caching”, the magnitude of this feat will be very clear. By the mercy of God and a somewhat reliable GPS, we did find our way back to Olallie Lake – and miraculously timed our arrival to meet up with another PCT thru hiker (Munchie) that Joel knows well. The “Disco – Munchie reunion” was a welcome surprise and celebrated by the 3 of us indulging in some wonderful trail magic that was just a mile up the road in a campsite along the lake.
I’ve been able to talk with Joel twice since I left Oregon and both he & Munchie are doing well. If you’ve been following his progress on the map, you’ll see that he made it to Washington. That means only one more state to go. I’m confident that he can finish and I can’t wait to see the little hiker icon cross the Canadian border on the map in about a month!
P.S. Several of the latest pictures are from areas of the trail in Oregon prior to my visit. Joel especially enjoyed hiking around Crater Lake during that stretch of the trail.
This is Joel’s wife, Amy -- reporting from the homefront. As both Joel & Natalia mentioned in their recent blog updates, I went out to Oregon to visit Joel last week. Initially, I was hoping to have an opportunity to hike part of the PCT with Joel again during our 2nd trail reunion. Unfortunately, I’ve recently developed a mysterious, nagging pain in my knee that prevented me from doing anything that could even remotely resemble backpacking. Since I couldn’t hike, Joel chose to stay off the trail for a longer period of time than he anticipated so that we could maximize the window of time we could spend together. And not only did Joel take almost a week-long break from the trail to hang out with me, but he also let me decide what we would do for 4 of our 6 days together. If you’re a woman, you’ll understand why this decision made me very happy. J Ever since we started dating, Joel’s motto has been, “When Amy is happy, then Joel is happy”. I must admit, I’ve always been a fan of that philosophy!
So, as you’ll see from the accompanying photos – much of what we did together in Oregon is much more “romantic” than what you’d typically read about on a PCT blog. We drove down the coast from Astoria to Tillamook and spent hours walking on the beautiful, rugged beaches along the way. We ate at seaside restaurants and meandered through historic streets lined with antique shops in small, coastal towns. We picked wild blackberries until our hands were stained violet. We strolled for hours through both the Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden in Portland – and took oodles of pictures of pretty flowers & landscapes. We drove the historic highway along the Columbia River Gorge and stopped to gaze at lookout points and waterfalls. And we even stayed overnight in a lovely French-style inn at Arch Cape and watched the movie, “You’ve Got Mail” while listening to the ocean from our 2nd story room. (Joel may not quite finish the trail before our 2nd anniversary in Sept., so we thought we’d celebrate a little early). J Needless to say, I LOVED Oregon and love my husband even MORE!
If you’re curious about what we did the other 2 days … just scroll through the photos. It took us 1 full day to sort, pack, & mail all of Joel’s resupply for the state of WA. Thankfully, the amazing Ms. Stephanie Mack (who graciously let us stay with her at her apt. in Vancouver, WA while we were in the Portland area) helped us with this daunting task, so that we could complete it all in a day. Stephanie is a whiz at rolling fruit leather and may have the set the new Guinness Book of World Records time for sealing the greatest number of freezer bags ever sealed in 10 hours. You rock, Stephanie! The other day was set aside for traversing the many miles back to the place on the trail where Joel had been picked up earlier in the week. If you’ve read Natalia’s story about “Joel caching”, the magnitude of this feat will be very clear. By the mercy of God and a somewhat reliable GPS, we did find our way back to Olallie Lake – and miraculously timed our arrival to meet up with another PCT thru hiker (Munchie) that Joel knows well. The “Disco – Munchie reunion” was a welcome surprise and celebrated by the 3 of us indulging in some wonderful trail magic that was just a mile up the road in a campsite along the lake.
I’ve been able to talk with Joel twice since I left Oregon and both he & Munchie are doing well. If you’ve been following his progress on the map, you’ll see that he made it to Washington. That means only one more state to go. I’m confident that he can finish and I can’t wait to see the little hiker icon cross the Canadian border on the map in about a month!
P.S. Several of the latest pictures are from areas of the trail in Oregon prior to my visit. Joel especially enjoyed hiking around Crater Lake during that stretch of the trail.
Monday, September 7, 2009
End-of-the-tunnel syndrome
Greetings dry blog readers!
I am currently in Snoqualmie Pass, just 260 miles south of Manning Park, BC. As you might guess, I've had quite a bit of rain in the last few days and am very much enjoying being inside and drying out.
Originally I wasn't planning on taking a day off in Snoqualmie Pass. However, last night I was talking with my father-in-law, Alvin Wissink, who is always full of practical wisdom. He warned me against what he called "end-of-the-tunnel syndrome." Alvin said that when people are walking in a dark tunnel they proceed carefully and watch their steps, but as soon as they see the light at the end of the tunnel they tend to speed up and are more reckless. According to Alvin, it's when the light at the end of the tunnel is visible that the most mistakes happen and most problems occur. I thought about that for a long time after I got off the phone with Alvin, and realized that I've been pushing way too hard in Washington. So ... I'm taking a day off. The last thing I want is to get lost or injured this close to the end.
The buzz over the last few days has been a wildfire which is just north of here. Unfortunately it has burned a significant portion of one valley and the PCT is closed for about 15 miles through that area. The good news (very good news) is that there is an alternate route that hikers can take which, while not the official PCT, will still allow me to continue the unbroken northbound footpath that I started at the Mexican border.
One highlight that I wanted to share is that a few days I've passed through amazing huckleberry and blueberry fields. I've picked tons of berries as I've hiked, and it's been a lot of fun and has brought some excitement to the otherwise rainy days. I could have picked and ate berries all day long and not gotted tired of it.
Two more weeks until Canada!
Joel
I am currently in Snoqualmie Pass, just 260 miles south of Manning Park, BC. As you might guess, I've had quite a bit of rain in the last few days and am very much enjoying being inside and drying out.
Originally I wasn't planning on taking a day off in Snoqualmie Pass. However, last night I was talking with my father-in-law, Alvin Wissink, who is always full of practical wisdom. He warned me against what he called "end-of-the-tunnel syndrome." Alvin said that when people are walking in a dark tunnel they proceed carefully and watch their steps, but as soon as they see the light at the end of the tunnel they tend to speed up and are more reckless. According to Alvin, it's when the light at the end of the tunnel is visible that the most mistakes happen and most problems occur. I thought about that for a long time after I got off the phone with Alvin, and realized that I've been pushing way too hard in Washington. So ... I'm taking a day off. The last thing I want is to get lost or injured this close to the end.
The buzz over the last few days has been a wildfire which is just north of here. Unfortunately it has burned a significant portion of one valley and the PCT is closed for about 15 miles through that area. The good news (very good news) is that there is an alternate route that hikers can take which, while not the official PCT, will still allow me to continue the unbroken northbound footpath that I started at the Mexican border.
One highlight that I wanted to share is that a few days I've passed through amazing huckleberry and blueberry fields. I've picked tons of berries as I've hiked, and it's been a lot of fun and has brought some excitement to the otherwise rainy days. I could have picked and ate berries all day long and not gotted tired of it.
Two more weeks until Canada!
Joel
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Home Stretch
Greetings faithful blog readers!
I am currently in Cascade Locks, Oregon, about 200 yards away from Washington. In a few hours I'll walk across Bridge of the Gods into my final state, with only 516 miles to go! It's hard to believe that I HIKED here from the Mexican border over four months ago. Wow. My pace will be much slower in Washington than in Oregon due to the rugged terrain of the North Cascades, but I'm excited to be counting down the miles/days to Canada. I anticipate reaching the Canadian border somewhere between the 20th and 26th of September.
Overall I'm holding up pretty well, but I'm slowly getting emotionally and physically worn out. Lately the weather has been good and the bugs haven't been too bad, but it rains quite a bit in Washington on the PCT so I'm trying to psych myself up to push through it. I think that by the time I complete the trail I'll be ready to get back to indoor plumbing, hot food, and the company of my amazing wife.
Speaking of amazing wife, Amy and I were able to spend almost six days together when she flew out to Portland. It was great to get off trail for a bit and reconnect with her. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to have her around to share my life with, and I've missed her more than normal since I got back on the trail four days ago.
Thanks again for all your prayers and supportive comments. Onward to Canada!
Joel
I am currently in Cascade Locks, Oregon, about 200 yards away from Washington. In a few hours I'll walk across Bridge of the Gods into my final state, with only 516 miles to go! It's hard to believe that I HIKED here from the Mexican border over four months ago. Wow. My pace will be much slower in Washington than in Oregon due to the rugged terrain of the North Cascades, but I'm excited to be counting down the miles/days to Canada. I anticipate reaching the Canadian border somewhere between the 20th and 26th of September.
Overall I'm holding up pretty well, but I'm slowly getting emotionally and physically worn out. Lately the weather has been good and the bugs haven't been too bad, but it rains quite a bit in Washington on the PCT so I'm trying to psych myself up to push through it. I think that by the time I complete the trail I'll be ready to get back to indoor plumbing, hot food, and the company of my amazing wife.
Speaking of amazing wife, Amy and I were able to spend almost six days together when she flew out to Portland. It was great to get off trail for a bit and reconnect with her. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to have her around to share my life with, and I've missed her more than normal since I got back on the trail four days ago.
Thanks again for all your prayers and supportive comments. Onward to Canada!
Joel
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Joel-caching
Hi from MN - it's Natalia, back from the amazing state of Oregon with tales to tell. So some of you have heard of a lovely thing called geocaching. It's where you get coordinates and have to treasure hunt for little containers full of fun knick-knacks. It's a lot of fun... Unless your cache is Joel, he's in the wilderness somewhere, and your gps fails to distinguish the difference between a small overgrown path and an actual road. Tom (the 2008-09 sam and nat roomie), Sam and I took the trusty Honda Element (fondly known as the duckmobile for it's color and team affiliation) and drove into the mountains. First of all, Elements are not 4wheel drive, and not all mountain roads are meant for Elements. Some mountain roads are not roads at all actually. We started out on a nice paved interstate, moved to a nice paved highway, then a nice paved county road, and then somehow we got on an incorrect dirt road, where a lovely set of mountain men asked us if we were trying to "get to somewhere special" (we weren't sure what it meant) and then gave us directions that sort of took us the right way, but we got off track again (darn gps)...at this time we were about an hour later than we told Joel. But we kept on hoping that he would be patient and wait for us. We drove and drove and turned around, and drove, and turned around (now it's almost two hours later than Joel expected) and FINALLY we saw a sign for Olalee lake. Dang that Olalee lake. It's the most beautiful and most hated location in all of Oregon if you are me, Tom, or Sam. We drove right by Joel and didn't see him at first, and had a moment of panic that Joel would leave us a note somewhere saying to meet him at another set of coordinates. He didn't and lucky for him that he didn't because we weren't really at a point where that would have been an option. But, we were victorious. We found Joel, we brought him down the mountain, fed him, gave him to his wife, and spent a glorious evening in Portland eating good food, drinking beer and eating gelato.
Pictures...
So below are some more pics from Joel. I (Natalia) have had them in my possession for awhile and I've been slow in posting them. Sorry blog faithful!
There are pics of various scenery, pretty sunsets, a volcano field, remnants of a forest fire, and Mt Shasta, as well as a few pics of Joel crossing the border, and his icky feet. :)
Enjoy!
There are pics of various scenery, pretty sunsets, a volcano field, remnants of a forest fire, and Mt Shasta, as well as a few pics of Joel crossing the border, and his icky feet. :)
Enjoy!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Oregon at last
Greetings supportive blog readers!
I am currently in Bend at the home of Brian and Lindsey. Brian is a fellow hiker who was unfortunately forced off the trail due to injury, but who invited me to come stay with him when I got near Bend. I've had a shower, slept in a real bed, and ate dinner last night at a dining room table. Being in a real house while in town instead of at a motel has been wonderful.
Northern California was pretty rough on me. It was hot, there were lots of bugs, the terrain was not terribly interesting, and I'd been hiking for three months and was still in the same state. Many other hikers had an equally difficult time, and I know a handful who just couldn't take it anymore and quit. However, the good news is that I'm now in Oregon! I got a pretty big mental and emotional lift crossing the border out of California - it's amazing what an arbitrary invisible line drawn by polititians hundreds of years ago can do to lift your spirits.
So far I've enjoyed Oregon quite a bit. There have been more mosquitos, rain, and cold than I was anticipating, but the scenery has been beautiful. Crater Lake was breathtaking, and the whole Three Sisters Wilderness was great as well with lots of mountain meadows, wildflowers, small streams, and majestic trees.
This afternoon Brian is bringing me back to the trail, and then in just two days my friends Sam and Natalia (who are maintaining this blog site) and Tom and Andrea are picking me up and bringing me to Portland to meet Amy! I'll be off trail for three or four days while she's here, so if you don't see the SPOT icons update that's why.
Also, I just crossed the 2000 mile mark! I'm at mile 2007, which means that I have less than 700 miles to go. If all goes well, I should be finishing the trail the third or fourth week in September.
Thanks a lot for all your comments of encouragement. I read them all, and once even called Amy and had her read the new ones to me over the phone. It really means a lot to me to have so many friends back home cheering me on.
Joel
I am currently in Bend at the home of Brian and Lindsey. Brian is a fellow hiker who was unfortunately forced off the trail due to injury, but who invited me to come stay with him when I got near Bend. I've had a shower, slept in a real bed, and ate dinner last night at a dining room table. Being in a real house while in town instead of at a motel has been wonderful.
Northern California was pretty rough on me. It was hot, there were lots of bugs, the terrain was not terribly interesting, and I'd been hiking for three months and was still in the same state. Many other hikers had an equally difficult time, and I know a handful who just couldn't take it anymore and quit. However, the good news is that I'm now in Oregon! I got a pretty big mental and emotional lift crossing the border out of California - it's amazing what an arbitrary invisible line drawn by polititians hundreds of years ago can do to lift your spirits.
So far I've enjoyed Oregon quite a bit. There have been more mosquitos, rain, and cold than I was anticipating, but the scenery has been beautiful. Crater Lake was breathtaking, and the whole Three Sisters Wilderness was great as well with lots of mountain meadows, wildflowers, small streams, and majestic trees.
This afternoon Brian is bringing me back to the trail, and then in just two days my friends Sam and Natalia (who are maintaining this blog site) and Tom and Andrea are picking me up and bringing me to Portland to meet Amy! I'll be off trail for three or four days while she's here, so if you don't see the SPOT icons update that's why.
Also, I just crossed the 2000 mile mark! I'm at mile 2007, which means that I have less than 700 miles to go. If all goes well, I should be finishing the trail the third or fourth week in September.
Thanks a lot for all your comments of encouragement. I read them all, and once even called Amy and had her read the new ones to me over the phone. It really means a lot to me to have so many friends back home cheering me on.
Joel
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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